1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle bodies, and to accessory components therefor. More particularly, the present invention relates to an end member for installation blocking a hollow end of a structural portion of a vehicle, and to a method of using the end member to block a hollow end of such a structural portion. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to an end member for installation blocking an open end of a structural portion such as, for example, a door sash of a vehicle, to help reduce or eliminate wind and other noise therethrough when the vehicle is in motion, in which a portion of the end member is made of a thermally deformable plastic, and to a method of using the end member.
2. Description of the Background Art
Sometimes, structural parts of a vehicle, such as, for example, a vehicle pillar, or a door sash for surrounding and supporting a window panel in a car door assembly, may be made hollow, and further may have one or more end portions with exposed hollow openings therein. In some instances, such a hollow door sash may extend into the interior of a vehicle door, and may be welded on to the door with the open end thereof left unplugged. Under some circumstances, in a finished vehicle traveling on the highway, wind pressure may find a way into a vehicle door, and may also get into the hollow interior passage of the door sash. Wind flowing through the hollow interior passage may set up a resonance, leading to a whistling sound or to other unwanted wind noise.
Some plugs and caps are known for vehicle accessories.
Nakahara, U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,240 discloses an end member for sealing an open end of a piece of vehicle weatherstripping. The Nakahara reference discloses a number of different configurations for weatherstrip end members. In a first embodiment of the disclosure of Nakahara, an elastically deformable cap is provided for placing over and surrounding an end of a section of weatherstripping, and for attaching the weatherstripping to a vehicle body panel. In a second embodiment of the disclosure of Nakahara, a C-shaped clip is provided for partially inserting into a hollow end of a section of weatherstripping. The C-shaped clip includes an upper lip for gripping engagement above a metal drip channel on a vehicle body, and a lower lip for gripping engagement below a piece of weatherstripping, to clampingly fasten it to the drip channel.
A need still exists in the art for an end member suitable for blocking placement on an open end of a structural portion of a vehicle body, such as a pillar or door sash. In particular, an end member formed as a plug or cap, in which a first portion is formed of a first material which is a heat-resistant plastic, and a second portion is formed of a second material which is a thermally softenable and deformable plastic, would be advantageous in providing a way to block an open end of a vehicle body portion.